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The Weekend Roundup: Of Bankruptcy, Violence And Death

We’ve seen better days.

1 | Football: Hooligans and strikes disrupt France Euro 2016
German and Ukraine hooligans clashed on Sunday prompting the French government to announce an alcohol ban in “sensitive areas”—i.e, a pint to the face. This comes after UEFA threatened to disqualify England and Russia if they don’t manage their fans after both turned Marseille into a warzone on Saturday. Amidst flash floods and union strikes—where Air France, train services and even a garbage treatment centre were picketed by workers—the Euro 2016 is off to a horrid start.

2 | Gun violence: Orlando attack sees 50 dead, singer Christina Grimme's shot dead
American-born Omar Mateen gunned down 50 revellers at a gay club in Orlando, US and injuring at least 53 others. Marteen called 911 during the attack pledging allegiance to ISIS and was subsequently shot and killed by local police at the club. Media outlets have called this the deadliest mass shooting in the US since 9/11. In a separate incident also in Orlando, 22-year-old singer Christina Grimmie was shot dead during a meet-and-greet with fans after her concert. The gunman fatally shot himself during a scuffle with Grimmie’s brother. Police are still investigating the motive for the shooting. A sad weekend in Orlando.

3 | Theatre: Les Misérables substitutes kissing scene with a “long hug”
After complaints were reportedly submitted to the Media Development Authority (MDA), a kissing scene in the Singapore staging of Les Miserables has been changed. The scene saw a comical peck on the lips between two men during the song “Beggars at the Feast”. Producers have changed it a “long hug” after MDA advised that the show now exceeded its “General” rating. Les miserables, indeed.

4 | Media: Gawker Media files for bankruptcy
In what looks like something off a legal procedural drama, Gawker and owner Nick Denton have filed for bankruptcy protection. This after former WWE wrestler Hulk Hogan won a USD140 million judgment against Gawker. The latter published a sex tape of Hogan with his friend’s wife in 2012. Hogan is backed by Peter Thiel—a billionaire who made his fortune by running PayPal and an early investment in Facebook. Ziff Davis, a media company that operates tech-centric digital titles including IGN, AskMen and PCMag, has made public their interest in acquiring Gawker’s titles including Gizmodo, Lifehacker, Kotaku, Jalopnik, Deadspin, Jezebel and Gawker.

5 | Family: Son pens heartfelt obituary for father
An obituary, of all things, has gone viral on social media. Singaporean businessman, Ong Tiong Yeow, wrote a moving poem for his late father Ong Peck Lye, a rubber tyre magnate. His second son, Ong’s stirring piece, published in The Straits Times, was based on conversations he had with his father during the elder’s last days. "My last days were dreary and weary,” Ong wrote of his father in the first person. "I never got to see my father be/ A husband to my mother so/I made mistakes being both, trying to be as human as I know." The poem concluded, "I dared to live, and now I dared to die," "I am Ong Peck Lye."